Rail bond



Patented Aug. 23, 1932 UNITED STATES ms J. musxnn, or arms, momma nan. 302m Application filed February 25, 1980. Serial No. 481,211.

This invention relates to rail bonds of the type used to establish a good electrical connection between the abutting ends of the rails of railroads equipped with automatic signals.

' The invention has for one of its objects to provide a rail bond which may be secured to the rails without being soldered or welded thereto and also embodies a novel connection between the strip of material connecting the rails and the elements directly connecting the material to the rail bodies whereby changes in the relativelocations of the points of attachment of the bond due to changes in temperature will not weaken or cause the bond to become loosened.

Still another object of the inventionis to provide a bond which in addition to having an elastic connection with the rails which prevents its becoming loose or broken under the stresses applied to the rails will act, because of its peculiar construction, to resume its original position against the rail and its original condition, after being placed under strain, as for example following the pulling apart of the adjacent rail ends under the action of extreme cold.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed de-.

scription taken in connection with the accom- Eanying'drawing forming part of this specication, with the understanding, however,

that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no ma-' terial departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing 1-- Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a pair of track rails showing the bond embodying the present invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a view in top plan of the rails and the bond, portions of the rail being broken away to show the application of the holding pins.

Figure 3 is a sectional .view taken on the .line 3 3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 isa sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawing wherein like numerals of reference indi cate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 1 indicates the abutting ends of a pair of railway rails, the angle bars by which the rails are secured together being indicated by the numerals 2 and the bond embodying the present invention bein indicated generally by the numeral 3.

The bond 3 may be connected to the bases of the rails, or to the webs thereof, or if desired it may be applied to the heads or balls of the rail as shown in the drawing; This latter application of the bond is preferred although, of course, I do not wish to be limited in any manner in this connection.

The bond 3 is constructed of an elastic metal that is a good conductor of electricity and is made in any desired or required length. This bond is in the form of a ribbon and is corru ated transversely as indicated at 4.

Ad acent each end the bond is rovided with a transverse aperture 5, a substantial portion bein left between the aperture and the end of t e bond to be turned back for engagement under the head of a holding pin as will be hereinafter described.

The pin employed for securing the ends of the bond 3 to the rails comprise cylindrical shanks or bodies 6 connected by conical portions 7 with reduced terminal portions 8, the latter also being of cylindrical formation. At the outer end the shank portion of each pin has formed integrally therewith a head 9.

In practice the reduced portions 8 are in serted' through the apertures 5'of the bond and that portion of the bond lying outwardly of the aperture is bent back so as to be brought to position beneath the head 9 of the pin and the pinis then driven firmly into suitable openings formed in the body of the rail. A loop or fold is thus formed at each end of the bond 3 thus forming a spring like connection. between the same and the head of the pin the apertures 5 of the bond through which the pins are passed being of a diameter greater than the pin, permit a slight amount of play between the shanks of the pins and the ed es of the apertures.

By forming t e heads upon the pins it will be seen that all danger of the bond coming oil of the pin is obviated and in addition to this if it is found desirable the bent back ends of the bond may be welded or otherwise suitably secured to the pins so that while a slight movementof the bond longitudinally of the rail will be permitted without effecting or in any way placing strain upon the pins the pins and the bond may -be provided for application to the rails as a unit instead of in individual parts which are assembled when attaching t e bond.

From the foregoing description it will be readily appreciated that by forming the bond 3 of an elastic metal transversely corrugated a slight movement of longitudinal stretch of the bond may be had without danger of breaking it and as a supplement to this the provision of the turned back or looped end of the bond which forms a resilient connection between the same and the pins permits of additional longitudinal movement of the rails without placing strain on the pins by which the bond is attached to the rails. While, of course, as above stated the pins may be separate from the bond strip I do not wish to be limited in this respect for it may be found desirable to loop the ends of the bond strip and apply the pins thereto, welding the turned back ends under the pin heads thus making the pins and the bond stri as a unit. The same results will be obtaine with either form of construction.

It will also be readily appreciated that these pins by which the bond stri is attached to the rails may be firmly secure in the rails without soldering or welding and by forming the broad heads upon the pins they may be easily driven into position without danger of damaging the bond strip, and may be readily removed if necessary as it sometimes happens when the steel becomes defective so that the signal system is effected thereby.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A rail bond, comprising a strip of conducting material, pin members for connecting the ends of the strip with rail bodies, sald strip having an aperture therethrough adjacent each end through which a pin loosely extends, and means for establishing a resilient connection between the strip and the pins consisting of a turned back portion of each end of the strip having its end connected with the adjacent pin.

2. A rail bond, comprising a transversely corrugated strip of elastic conducting material, and headed pin members for connecting the ends of the strip with rail bodies, said strip being formed at each end to prothrough said aperture for engagement with a rail body, said aperture being of slightly greater diameter than the pin to permit slight movement of the conducting strip thereon,.

a head formed upon the outer end of said pin, and a resilient connection between the pin and the strip comprising a turned back terminal portion of the strip having engagement with the underside of the pin head.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my.

signature.

HANS J. HAUSKEN.

vide a spring like engagement" between the adjacent attaching pin head and the rail.

body.

3. A rail bond, comprising a strip of conducting material, a securing pin passing 

